Ice tray release mechanism



Sept. 24, 1935. J. TOUBORG ETAL 2,015,465

) ICE TRAY RELEASE MECHANISM Filed Apfil 5, 19:55

I 20 w /J A? QQ A5 7 MZM Patented 24, 1935 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE Mich, assignors to Gibson Electric Refrigerator'Corporation, Greenville, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application April 5, 1935, Serial No. 14,900

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a shelf for ice trays,

and more particularly to mechanism for releas ing the traysfrom said shelf.

v One feature of this invention is that it provides a positive and easily operated mechanism to release trays frozen to a shelf; another feature of this invention is that it enables a plurality of trays to be released simultaneously; other features and advantages of this invention will be 7 apparent from the following specification and claims, in which- Figure l is a top'plan view of the shelf and trays; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same shelf and trays; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the conl5 struction of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a view along the line 44 of Fig. 2.

A great deal of difficulty is commonly encountered in removing ice trays from a shelf in the freezing zone of a refrigerator, which freezing zone is usually located between the coils of the evaporator. The trays, when filled with water, are placed on this shelf and left to freeze. Should there be any water spilled on the' shelf, any waterremaining on the bottom of the trays, or

any moisture of condensation upon the shelf; or

. tray bottoms, the trays freeze to the shelf. The layer of ice between the shelf and the tray is sufiiciently tenacious to make it extremely difficult to remove the j ys by hand, and it is necessary either to pound lihe'trays loose, or to have some form of release, mechanism. Various forms of levers, wedges, carns, and the like have been used to release the trays from the shelf, but all of these mechanisms have been rather clumsy,

difiicult of installation, and not capable of easy manual operation. This invention provides a shelf on which a plurality of trays sit with their front ends substantially in line with the front edge of the shelf, or projecting slightly over said edge. The front edge of the shelf is provided with an apron depending therefrom, which apron is pivotally mounted and so constructed as to lift the front ends of the trays simultaneously when the apron is moved upwardly and forwardly.

In the particular embodiment of this invention illustrated herewith, the reference numeral Ill indicates a shelf adapted to receive ice trays ll, l2, l3 and M, which trays rest on the substantially plane or fiat upper surface l5 of the shelf Ill. The shelf has slightlyEless depth than the length of the trays, and is provided with an abutment l6 at the rear edge thereof, which abutment is adapted to engage the back ends of the trays. The trays, when lined up against the turned-downside piece IQ of the shelf, as by the bolts 20. The apron is provided at its lower end with an inwardly turned flange or roll 2 l, which flange serves both to strengthen the apron longil0 tudinally and to furnish a convenient and safe grip for the hand.

As may be noted, the apron ll is pivoted to the shelf at a. point slightly behind the front edge. thereof. With the fulcrum'point in this position, 15 and with the large ratio of leverage obtained by the fact that the extension member I8 is short as compared to the width of the apron ll, an upward and forward motion of-the apron, as a result of a. manual force applied to the flange 2|, 20 very easily breaks the trays loose from the shelf if they are frozen thereto, by lifting the front ends of the trays from contact with the shelf. In order to insure smooth contact with the tray at any position of the apron, the upper edge of the 25 apron is provided with a backwardly turned flange piece 22, which flange piece contacts the corner 23 of the tray l3, for example.

Movement of the apron, as is readily apparent, simultaneously lifts the front ends of as many 30 trays as may be lying on the upper surface of the shelf l0, and thus simultaneously breaks loose any that may be frozen to the shelf. It thus becomes a convenient and simple matter to, remove the ice trays from the refrigerator, since the 35 apron is merely swung upwardly once with one hand motion, and then the trays may all be lifted off and removed from the refrigerator. It is, moreover, not necessary to reset or replace any mechanism, since as soon as the hand is removed 40 from the apron, gravity causes the apron to drop down into its normal position, where it does not interfere with the trays being slid off of the front of the shelf, since in its normal position, the top of the apron is slightly below the upper surface of the shelf, nor does it require any further setting or adjustment before the replacing of the trays.

While we have shown and described certain embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arg rangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is our inten- 5 stantially planegupper surface adapted to support 1 an ice tray; means for maintaining the front end of said tray in substantial alignment with the front end of said shelf and an apron depending from the front edge of said shelf, said apron being pivotally mounted on said shelf and having a portion adapted to engage the front end of said tray upon movement of said apron, whereby movement of said apron lifts the front end of said tray from'contact with said shelf.

2. Apparatus of the character described, including: a shelf adapted to lie within the freezing zone of a refrigerator, said shelf having a substantially plane upper surface adapted to support an ice tray; an abutment on said shelf. adaptedto engage the rear end of said tray to maintain the front end of said tray in substantial alignment with the front edge of said shelf; and an apron depending from the front edge of said shelf, said apron being pivotally mounted on said shelfat a point behind the front edge thereof and having a portion lying in front of said edge and adapted to engage the front end of said tray upon an upward and forward movement of. said apron,

whereby an upward and forward movement of said apron lifts the front end of said tray from contact with said shelf.

3. Apparatus of the character described, including: a shelf adapted to lie within the freezing zone of a refrigerator, said shelf having a substantiall y plane upper surface adapted to support a plurality of ice trays; means for maintaining the front ends of said trays in substantial alignment with the front edge of. said shelf; and an apron depending from the front edge of said shelf, said apron being pivotally mounted on said shelf and having a portion extending substantially the full length of said shelf adapted to engage the front end of said trays upon movement of said apron, whereby movement of said apron simultaneously lifts the front ends of said trays from contact withsaid shelf.

- 4. Appaartus of the character described, in-

' cluding: a shelf adapted to lie within the freezing zone of a refrigerator, said shelf having a substantially plane upper surface adapted to support a plurality of ice trays with the front ends of said trays substantially aligned with the front edge of said shelf; means on said shelf projecting above 5 said surface, whereby an abutment is formed adapted to engage the rear ends of said trays; and an apron depending from the front edge of said shelf and extending substantially the full length thereof, said apron being pivotally mounted on said shelf at a point behind the front edge thereof and having a portion lying in front of said edge and extending substantially the full length thereof adapted to engage the front ends of said trays upon an upward and forward movement of said apron, whereby an upward and forward movement of said apron simultaneously lifts the front ends of said trays from contact with said shelf.

5. Apparatus of the character described, including: a shelf adapted to lie within the freezing zone of a refrigerator, said shelf having a substantially plane upper surface adapted to support an ice tray; means for maintaining one end of said tray in substantial alinement with one end '25 of said shelf; and an apron depending from said edge of said shelf, said apron being pivotally mounted on said shelf and having a portion adapted to engage said end of said tray upon movement of said apron, whereby movement of said apron lifts said end of said tray from contact with said shelf.

6. Apparatus of. the character described, including: a shelf adapted to lie within the freezing zone of a refrigerator, said shelf having a substantially plane upper surface adapted to support an ice tray; an abutment on said shelf adapted to engage one end of said tray to maintain the other .end of said tray upon an upward and forward 5 movementof said apron, whereby an upward and forward movement of said apron lifts said other end of said tray from contact with said shelf.

8 TOUBORG. JACOBSEN. 

